Internet

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the ease of access of her Department's on-line records.

Theresa Villiers: The official records of my Department are not hosted on-line. Departmental records are maintained via internal systems until they are transferred to The National Archives (TNA) in accordance with the Public Records Act (1967). This legislation determines that all records are held in the Department until their transfer to TNA for release to the public. My Department is working with TNA to ensure that historic electronic records will be transferred in a format accessible to the public.
	For internal purposes, an Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS) is used to manage records. My Department regularly reviews the suitability of its records management systems and procedures to ensure access and usage continue to be efficient, appropriate and secure.

Investment

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will discuss with the Chancellor of the Exchequer the feasibility of introducing tax incentives for companies which wish to expand into Northern Ireland.

Theresa Villiers: As set out in the joint economic package for Northern Ireland launched by the Prime Minister and the First and deputy First Ministers on 14 June, the Government recognises that there is a need to give careful consideration to the potential to devolve additional fiscal powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
	Following evaluation and analysis, recommendations on the devolution of further fiscal powers will be put to Government Ministers in advance of the 2014 autumn statement.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assistance her Department offers to encourage intelligence sharing and co-operation between the Guarda Schiocan and the Police Service Northern Ireland.

Theresa Villiers: The PSNI and An Garda Siochána work very closely together on a wide range of policing and security issues. This includes tackling the threats posed by terrorism and criminality. I am in regular contact with the Irish Justice Minister, Alan Shatter, and our officials work together on issues of mutual interest. I know also that the Garda Commissioner, Martin Callinan, speaks regularly to the Chief Constable and that they have repeatedly emphasised the value of the close co-operation between the two police forces.

Cybercrime

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the effect of cyber crime on the Welsh economy.

David Jones: An accurate figure on the cost of cyber crime to Wales is extremely difficult to determine but the Detica “Cost of Cyber Crime” report, published in February 2011 in partnership with the Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance in the Cabinet Office, estimate the cost of cyber crime to the UK to be as much as £27 billion per annum.
	The Government has committed £650 million over four years to the National Cyber Security Programme to support economic prosperity, protect national security and safeguard the public's way of life by building a more trusted and resilient digital environment.

Press: Subscriptions

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on newspapers, periodicals and trade publications in the last 12 months.

Stephen Crabb: The Wales Office spent £7,699.73 on newspapers and periodicals in financial year 2012-13. From May 2013, as part of the departmental efficiency savings, all paid for newspapers have been cancelled in our London and Cardiff offices.

Airlines: Databases

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department issues to airlines on the collection of flight passenger data.

Mark Harper: Border Force provides formal notification to aviation carriers of the UK's legislative requirements for the provision of advance passenger data by the service of the IS 72 form, under the Immigration Act 1971 Requirement for Passenger, Crew and Service Information.
	Border Force works closely with the airline industry to ensure that they understand their duty to provide passenger data. As part of this engagement, guidance is made available to the carriers, outlining the relevant laws.
	Border Force also provides a carrier account management service so that every carrier operating to the UK has a dedicated point of contact if further advice is required.
	Further information on the work of Border Force is also provided on the ‘Gov.uk' website, which airlines can refer to.

Airwave Service

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the renewal of the Airwave emergency services telecommunications contract; and what assessment she has made of the role of voice communication in future such contracts.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 27 June 2013
	Contracts between the three Emergency Services and Airwave Services Ltd expire between 2016 and 2020. The Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme has been established to find a cost-effective replacement that delivers critical voice and broadband data services to the Emergency Services and other public safety users. The programme is keen to exploit the next generation of mobile technology (4G LTE), enhanced with public safety features. The programme aims to transition users to the new solution, called the Emergency Services Network, at or soon after contract expiry, minimising the need for lengthy contract extensions.
	The need for critical voice communication remains high on the users list of requirements.

Bedfordshire Police

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many police community support officers Bedfordshire police is projected to have by the end of (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15;
	(2)  how many police officers of each rank Bedfordshire police is projected to have by the end of (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15;
	(3)  how many (a) police officers of each rank, (b) police community support officers and (c) police staff there were in Bedfordshire police force area in each year from 2010.

Damian Green: holding answer 24 June 2013
	The number of police officers and police community support officers in Bedfordshire police, projected to have by the end of 2013-14 and 2014-15 are shown in table A. These figures are published on HMIC's website in the data supporting the “Policing in Austerity: one year on” report (July 2012). Figures are budgeted full-time equivalent (FTE). The data on police officers is not broken down by rank.
	The number of police officers (by rank), police community support officers and police staff (FTE), that were in Bedfordshire police force as at 31 March 2010 to 2012 have been provided in table B.
	
		
			 Number of police officers and police community support officers in Bedfordshire police, projected to have by the end of 2013-14 and 2014-15(1,2) 
			  March 2014 March 2015 
			 Police officers 1,148 1,124 
			 Police community support officers 108 88 
			 (1) These figures are published on HMIC's website in the data supporting the “Policing in Austerity: one year on” report (July 2012). (2) Figures are budgeted full-time equivalent (FTE). 
		
	
	
		
			 Number of police officers (by rank), police community support officers and police staff that were in Bedfordshire police force area as at 31 March 2010-12(1) 
			  2010 2011 2012 
			 Police officers    
			 ACPO 4 4 3 
			 Chief Superintendent 5 4 4 
			 Superintendent 12 11 11 
			 Chief Inspector 20 21 19 
			 Inspector 64 60 57 
			 Sergeant 179 191 203 
			 Constable 962 923 860 
			     
			 Police community support officers 116 125 112 
			     
			 Police staff 826 788 724 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Source: Home Office annual data requirement.

Human Trafficking

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for human trafficking there have been due to the co-operation between the UK and Sweden in each of the last five years.

Mark Harper: Data on human trafficking convictions in the UK does not record where these have been the result of international co-operation.
	Information on convictions overseas for human trafficking where the UK has supported joint investigations is not recorded centrally.

Immigrants: Pregnant Women

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pregnant woman have been assessed under the fast track procedure of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal since the inception of that procedure.

Mark Harper: Information on how many pregnant women have been assessed under the fast track procedure is only held at the level of paper case files or within the notes section of the Home Office Case Information Database (CID). Such data is not aggregated in national reporting systems, which would mean this question could only be answered through a disproportionately expensive manual case by case search to collate the data.

Police: Recruitment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the certificate of knowledge was introduced; and which police forces have introduced it to date.

Damian Green: The Certificate in Knowledge of Policing was introduced by the National Policing Improvement Agency and Skills for Justice in April 2012. To date only the Metropolitan Police have introduced it.

Police: Recruitment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will collect data on police recruitment from black and ethnic minority communities and deprived neighbourhoods.

Damian Green: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 15 May 2013, Official Report, column 211W, and 10 June 2013, Official Report, column 67W. The Government do collect and publish data on Black and Minority Ethnic representation in the police work force. We have no plans to collect data on recruitment from deprived neighbourhoods.

Salvation Army

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding her Department has provided to the Salvation Army to assist with persons subjected to human trafficking in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) England, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales in each of the last 12 months.

Mark Harper: The Salvation Army provides care and support for trafficking victims in England and Wales only. Through the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice, joint funding of £3 million was paid to The Salvation Army in 2012-13, and £3 million has been made available in 2013-14. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, victim care is devolved to the respective devolved Government and Executive.

Afghanistan

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the training provided by UK forces to recruits at the Afghan National Army Officer Academy will include training on (a) the law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and (b) UN Security Council Resolution 1325.

Andrew Robathan: The core values and beliefs of our armed forces will be the foundation of any direction and guidance given to recruits at the Afghan National Army Officers Academy. These underline respect for human rights and obligations under international law. The course training package covers the issues surrounding women's rights within the 'equality and diversity' component of the syllabus.

Afghanistan

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to prevent female recruits at the Afghan National Army Officer Academy suffering sexual harassment.

Andrew Robathan: The Afghan National Army Officers Academy will provide ethical, values-based leadership training modelled on the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. The first female intake will be during the summer of 2014. While the course design is still being finalised, measures have already been incorporated into planning to help manage the risk of sexual or other harassment. These include: separate female accommodation, use of female coalition mentors, having one larger intake annually as opposed to three smaller intakes and conducting physical training apart from their male counterparts.

Armed Forces: Catering

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the maximum number of hours a chef in the armed forces is allowed to work (a) per day and (b) per week.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence is obliged to adhere to all employment legislation including Working Time Regulations (WTR) (1998) and any subsequent amendments to those regulations. Commanding officers are required to apply the regulations on a worldwide basis to all service personnel including chefs.
	Under normal routine activity the maximum weekly hours that can be worked are an average of 48 hours a week over a rolling 17 week period. Within that week personnel are entitled to a rest period of 11 consecutive hours between each working day and a 24 hour rest every seven days. Those whose daily working time exceeds six hours are entitled to an uninterrupted 20 minute break (extended to 30 minutes for under 18s); this should not be at the start or end of work.
	Regulation 18(2)(a) of the WTR provides an exemption for work characteristics which are peculiar to the regular armed forces that ‘inevitably conflict' with the regulations. Commanding officers must be able to show how the activity in question is both peculiar to the armed forces, and inevitably conflicts with the regulations. In practice, where the nature of the activity is such that it cannot be made to comply with the WTR without a detrimental effect on operational effectiveness, the exemption should apply. This includes the following activities:
	Operations (including military aid to the civil authorities, where it is not possible to conduct activities within the prescribed working time limits).
	Support of and preparation for operations.
	Exercises and training simulating operational conditions, including their support.
	Training (including exercises) aimed at causing fatigue and stress to prepare for or simulate an operational situation.
	Where work at sea or in the air is subject to the WTR and where it can be shown that adherence to normal working time limits would inevitably have an adverse impact upon operational effectiveness, the sea and air duties in question will be regarded as falling within the scope of the ‘inevitably conflicts' exemption of the WTR.

Armed Forces: Northern Ireland

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people from Northern Ireland have enlisted in the (a) Army, (b) Infantry, (c) Royal Navy and (d) Royal Air Force in each of the last five years.

Mark Francois: The information is not held in the format requested; however the following table gives details of those recruited from financial year FY 2008-09 through the recruitment offices in Northern Ireland, and gives an indication of Northern Irish recruitment into the naval service, Army and RAF.
	This information will however not provide a comprehensive picture of individuals recruited from Northern Ireland as recruits can join the services at any Careers Office irrespective of where they reside.
	
		
			  Financial year 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Naval services 46 49 39 39 46 
			 Army 294 327 259 301 267 
			 RAF 25 26 18 10 10 
		
	
	Of those enlisted in the Army it is not possible to identify how many of those subsequently mustered to the infantry.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people between the age of 16 and 18 were recruited to the (a) Army, (b) Navy and (c) Royal Air Force in each of the last 10 years.

Mark Francois: The following table shows the number of 16, 17 and 18-year-old recruits to the armed forces in the last 10 years.
	
		
			  Financial year 
			  2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 All Services 11,540 8,580 8,740 8,600 8,640 8,880 7,150 4,180 4.720 4,090 
			 Naval Service 1,750 1,520 1,560 1,440 1,370 1,420 1,120 600 340 430 
			 Army 8,170 6,320 6,840 6,800 6,410 6,030 5,120 3,340 4,100 3,440 
		
	
	
		
			 RAF 1,620 740 340 410 860 1,440 910 240 280 220 
			 Notes: 1. Intake is given for UK regular forces (including all trained and untrained personnel). Gurkhas, full time reserve personnel and mobilised reservists are excluded. 2. Figures from 2002-03 to 2006-07 also contain intake from re-enlistments and rejoined reservists, so may not be entirely indicative of recruitment for these financial years. We are unable to disaggregate these figures. 3. Figures for Army for 2006-07 are for the then latest 12 months available; comprising data from 1 March 2006 to 28 February 2007. 4. Data has been rounded to the nearest 10. Numbers ending in '5' have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

Armed Forces: Redundancy

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many redundancy letters in each tranche have been delivered to personnel stationed at (a) RAF Lossiemouth, (b) RAF Leuchars, (c) HMNB Clyde, (d) RM Condor, (e) Headquarters 2nd Division, (f) Headquarters 51 Brigade, (g) Redford Barracks, (h) Dreghorn Barracks, (i) Kinloss Barracks, (j) Fort George Barracks, (k) Glencorse Barracks, (l) Crombie Defence Munitions Centre, (m) Beith Defence Munitions Centre, (n) Glen Douglas Defence Munitions Centre, (o) HMS Gannet, (p) Royal Naval Armament Depot Coulport, (q) MOD Hebrides Ranges, (r) British Underwater Training and Evaluation Centre, (s) Loch Ewe Fuel Depot, (t) Garelochead Defence Fuel Depot, (u) HMS Caledonia, (v) Rosyth Defence Estate and (w) West Freugh Training Ranges. [Official Report, 11 September 2013, Vol. 567, c. 9MC.]

Mark Francois: The information requested about numbers of redundancy letters is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Number 
			 Location Tranche 1 Tranche 2 Tranche 3 
			 RAF Lossiemouth 40 50 0 
			 RAF Leuchars 30 20 — 
			 HMNB Clyde 20 — 0 
			 RM Condor 20 — 0 
			 HQ 2 Div 0 0 0 
			 HQ 51 Bde — 10 10 
			 Redford Barracks (Bks) — 10 30 
			 Dreghorn Bks — 20 30 
			 Kinloss Bks 70 20 70 
			 Fort George Bks — 10 30 
			 Glencorse Bks — 10 20 
			 Crombie Defence Munitions Centre (DMC) 0 0 0 
			 Beith DMC 0 0 0 
			 Glen Douglas DMC 0 0 0 
			 HMS Gannet 0 0 0 
			 RN Armament Depot Coulport 0 0 0 
			 MOD Hebrides Ranges 0 0 0 
			 British Underwater Training and Evaluation Centre 0 0 0 
			 Loch Ewe Fuel Depot (FD) 0 0 0 
			 Garelochead Defence FD 0 0 0 
			 HMS Caledonia — 0 0 
			 Rosyth Defence Estate 0 0 0 
			 West Freugh Training Ranges 0 0 0 
			 — = less than 5. Note: When rounding to the nearest 10, numbers ending in “5” have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. 
		
	
	Neither the post nor the location in which individuals are serving are taken into account by armed forces redundancy selection boards. The selection of an individual for redundancy cannot be assumed to imply that the post they occupy on the date of notification is no longer required. In addition, service personnel move between posts and locations regularly, and the location at which they will be serving on their exit date may be different from that at which they were notified. For these reasons, neither the geographical distribution nor the units within which individuals were serving when notified for redundancy are a valid basis for assumptions about the longer term disposition of future military posts.

Military Aid

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which projects administered by his Department were UK overseas development assistance (ODA) attributable; what the total value of his Department’s contribution to UK ODA was in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012; and what the value of that contribution will be in 2013.

Andrew Murrison: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold this information for 2010 as a reporting requirement was introduced at the strategic defence and security review in 2010.
	For 2011, the MOD reported an estimate of activity eligible to be counted as official development assistance (ODA). The MOD reported that approximately £6.85 million was spent on activities which met the definition of ODA. £2 million of this was from the conflict pool, with the balance of £4.85 million from MOD’s own budget.
	As ODA is reported by calendar year, this is the latest available data. Figures for 2012 will be published on the UK Government website later this year as part of the wider UK ODA statistics. Reporting for calendar year 2013 will be available in autumn 2014.

Sick Leave

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many days on average staff of his Department in each pay grade were absent from work as a result of ill health in each of the last 12 months.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) maintains a robust approach to managing civilian absence as a result of sickness. Occupational health and well-being advice and support is available to all employees and line managers.
	Sickness absence rates by average working days lost (AWDL) per full-time equivalent (FTE) employee in the MOD for the 12 months ending 31 March 2013 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Grade (Equivalent)(3) Average working days lost (FTE)1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013(1,2) 
			 Administrative Assistant 10.87 
			 Administrative Officer 9.46 
			 Executive Officer 7.99 
		
	
	
		
			 Higher Executive Officer 5.78 
			 Senior Executive Officer 4.81 
			 Grade 7 3.93 
			 Grade 6 2.97 
			 Senior Civil Service 1.06 
			 Unknown grade(4) 7.72 
			 (1) Data presented reflects the current Cabinet Office definition, setting a maximum absence of 225 days per person, and excludes data for weekends, annual leave and bank holidays. Excludes personnel on zero pay. (2) Average working days lost per FTE are calculated by dividing the total working days lost by a weighted average of the 1st of the month strengths for the period (the strengths at the start and end month receiving a weighting of 0.5 and the strengths of the interim months a weighting of 1). (3) Equivalent civil service grades have been used to amalgamate MOD non-industrial, industrial and trading fund grades, according to Cabinet Office definitions. (4) Unknown grade is a temporary assignment, due to the grade field for new recruits and newly promoted personnel being updated at a later point than their main personnel record. As such the AWDL figure for this category is liable to considerable variability. 
		
	
	A breakdown of the average working days lost per month is not available as the Department calculate the figure over a rolling 12-month period to take account of any seasonality.
	Grade equivalent rates, as used in Cabinet Office absence reporting, include non-industrial, industrial and trading fund personnel, but exclude Royal Fleet Auxiliary and locally engaged civilians for whom sickness absence data are not readily available.

Debts

Heather Wheeler: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will commission a review of best practice and lending policy from the experience of debt waiver products in the US.

Greg Clark: The Government has no intention to commission such a review.

Economic and Monetary Union

Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect of the euro-zone crisis on economic growth; and what estimate he has made of the likely level of UK economic growth had the crisis not taken place.

Greg Clark: As set out in Budget 2013, the euro area sovereign debt-crisis and subsequent recession have weighed heavily on the UK recovery. The euro area is a key market for UK exporters, accounting for 40% of the UK's exports of goods and services in 2012. As the Bank of England said in its May Inflation Report:
	“The main risks to the recovery continue to emanate from abroad.”

Empty Property: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many empty banks there are in each of the principal seaside towns.

Sajid Javid: The Government do not collect this data.

First Time Buyers

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what help he is giving to first time buyers.

Sajid Javid: The Help to Buy package of measures, announced at Budget 2013, will support first-time buyers and those looking to move up the housing ladder.
	The Help to Buy: equity loan scheme was launched on 1 April and has supported over 4,000 new build home reservations in its first two months. The Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme will be available from January 2014.

Mortgages

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what support he plans to give to those who have been paying interest only mortgages and are coming to the end of that agreement with a large lump sum payment to make.

Sajid Javid: The Financial Conduct Authority's review into interest-only mortgages, published in May, showed that most people have a strategy in place for repaying their interest-only mortgage.
	The review also identified where there might be gaps, for example around whether the repayment strategy is sufficient. The review gives lenders useful information and guidance for how to address this matter with their customers. This will help lenders and their customers to take early and effective action.

Non-domestic Rates: Bury

David Nuttall: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in Bury North constituency have taken advantage of the doubling of small business rate relief since 2010.

Brandon Lewis: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	Data collected as at 31 December 2010 showed that in the Bury council area there were 1,846 hereditaments benefiting from the small business rate relief scheme. Of these 1,707 were paying the lower multiplier and receiving a discount and 139 were just paying the lower multiplier.
	Data collected earlier this year are currently being validated and will be published in the autumn. Data are collected at billing authority level, we do not collect data at constituency level.
	We estimate that approximately half a million business in England are benefiting, with approximately a third of a million paying no rates at all.

Social Security Benefits: Northern Ireland

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed welfare budget cap in Northern Ireland.

Sajid Javid: The welfare cap will improve spending control, support fiscal consolidation and ensure the welfare system remains affordable. If the Office for Budget Responsibility projects that spending will breach the cap in any year of the forecast horizon, the Government will need to bring forward a response—changing policy or explaining publicly why it judges that action is not appropriate. Although welfare policy is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly, under the parity principle we would expect the Northern Ireland Executive to mirror any policy reforms introduced under this framework.

State Retirement Pensions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of pensions triple lock on pensioners.

Sajid Javid: The Government believes that the basic state pension is the foundation of state support for older people. This is why triple lock was introduced, meaning that the basic state pension is increased each year by the highest of the growth in average earnings, inflation or 2.5%. The level of the full basic state pension is now £6.85 per week higher than if it had only been uprated by earnings since 2011-12. Because of the triple lock, the basic state pension now represents a higher share of average earnings than at any time since 1992.

Tax Allowances: Community Development

Chris White: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amount of investment qualified for Community Investment Tax Relief in each of the last five years.

David Gauke: The amount of investment qualifying for community investment tax relief in the last five years for which data are available is outlined in the following table. This data is held by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	
		
			  Amount of new investment (£ million) 
			 2007-08 9.5 
			 2008-09 7.7 
			 2009-10 26.6 
			 2010-11 9.4 
			 2011-12 1.8

Tax Allowances: Community Development

Chris White: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many community development finance institutions received community investment tax relief in each of the last five years.

David Gauke: Community development finance institutions do not receive community investment tax relief themselves. Rather, the relief is provided to the people and corporations who invest in these institutions. The number of community development finance institutions receiving CITR-qualifying investments in each of the past five years for which data is available is outlined in the following table. This data is held by the Department for Business, Information and Skills.
	
		
			  Number of CDFIs 
			 2007-08 11 
			 2008-09 8 
			 2009-10 8 
			 2010-11 5 
			 2011-12 4

Taxation: EU Nationals

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to prevent EU citizens who are (a) residents and (b) non-residents in the UK purchasing a second home to reduce tax liabilities.

Sajid Javid: The Government do not seek to prevent EU citizens buying second homes in the UK. But where they do so it is important that they should pay their fair share of tax. In Budget 2012 the Government announced three measures to promote the fair taxation of residential property in the UK:
	an increase in the rate of stamp duty land tax payable by a purchaser on properties costing more than £2 million from 5% to 7% and a special rate of 15% payable when a property costing more than £2 million is bought by a company rather than an individual;
	a new annual tax on enveloped dwellings, payable on UK residential properties valued at more than £2 million which are owned by companies or other ‘non-natural persons’ and which—broadly—are not used for bona fide commercial purposes; and
	an extension of the charge to capital gains tax so that it is payable on gains on disposals of residential properties where the owner has paid the annual tax on enveloped dwellings.
	All these three measures apply equally to UK and non-UK residents.

Welfare Tax Credits: Cannock Chase

Aidan Burley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) people, (b) people in work and (c) families in Cannock Chase constituency are in receipt of tax credits.

Sajid Javid: The following table details the number of adults, in work adults and the number of families in receipt of tax credits (child tax credit and working tax credit) in Cannock Chase constituency as at April 2013.
	
		
			  Number (Thousand) 
			 Adults 11.9 
			 In work adults 6.8 
			 Families 7.8 
		
	
	An adult is defined as in work if they are eligible for working tax credit. In the case of a couple with children, the couple is required to work at least 24 hours a week with at least one adult required to work at least 16 hours. Lone parents are required to work at least 16 hours, although lone parents are still eligible for child tax credit if they work less than this.
	These figures do not take into account a small number of out of work families for whom an amount equivalent to tax credits is provided through Department for Work and Pensions benefits.
	The Government is committed to making work pay, and is rewarding work in a number of ways. The Government has raised the personal allowance to £9,440 and has announced a further increase to £10,000 from April 2014. The net effect of all personal allowance increases announced by this Government will be to remove 2.7 million low income individuals, under 65, out of income tax altogether from April 2014.
	The Government is also developing a new tax-free child care scheme to expand support for affordable child care to 2.5 million families, and introducing universal credit to make the benefits of work clearer and simpler, with the aim of offering a smooth transition into work and encouraging progression in work.

Empty Property: Retail Trade

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has taken to prevent landlords from leaving retail units vacant.

Brandon Lewis: A property may be empty on account of various issues, not least lack of interest from a suitable tenant. Punitive measures to force landlords to lease their properties would not be effective in creating a sustainable high street and would risk interfering with fundamental private property rights.
	Government is introducing planning reforms which will encourage the effective use of underused and empty buildings. The new regulations which came in to force on 30 May enable the freer movement of use across town centre properties lifting many restrictions on the type of business which can use a property. This will make it easier for businesses to access property.
	The reforms also allow offices to change use to housing without the need for a planning application. Last year we increased the permitted development for flats created above shops, together these reforms provide a substantial opportunity to bring more life into town centres and increase footfall.
	Empty property rate relief is time-limited so ultimately does deter landlords leaving units vacant, though note that this applies to England only and separate arrangements may be in place in the devolved Administrations.

Enterprise Zones

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many jobs have been (a) created and (b) safeguarded in each of the 24 enterprise zones since May 2010;
	(2)  how many business tenants are in place in each of the 24 enterprise zones.

Mark Prisk: Enterprise Zones have created over 3,000 jobs since going live in April 2012. They have also generated 105,000 square metres on new commercial floorspace and secured almost £229 million of extra private sector investment.
	Enterprise Zone policy is aimed at unlocking development on new sites to create jobs and business growth. We therefore do not monitor jobs safeguarded.
	We are aware of 126 new businesses being attracted to Enterprise Zones since April 2012.

Families: Disadvantaged

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the cost of expanding the troubled families project.

Brandon Lewis: On Monday 24 June, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the right hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander), and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), announced £200 million of funding for 2015-16 for the expansion of the Troubled Families programme. This is intended to be the first of five years of investment. This information is outlined here:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/news/massive-expansion-of-troubled-families-programme-announced

Families: Disadvantaged

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how his Department will fund the proposed expansion of the troubled families project.

Brandon Lewis: On Monday 24 June, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, announced £200 million of funding for 2015-16 for the expansion of the Troubled Families programme. This is intended to be the first of five years of investment. This funding was drawn from the budgets of six Departments. Those Departments who stand to benefit the most from this approach have agreed to-contribute to it.

Families: Disadvantaged

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total budget of the troubled families programme will be in 2015-16; how many families he expects to be helped by the programme in that year; and how many such families he expects to be entering the programme for the first time that year.

Brandon Lewis: On 24 June, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government announced £200 million of funding for 2015-16 for the expansion of the Troubled Families programme. This is intended to be the first of five years of investment.
	The detail of the delivery model, including the precise number of families to be helped in that year will be developed in collaboration with local authorities and their partners over the coming year. Further details will be announced following this process.

Families: Disadvantaged

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average expenditure on a troubled family under the current programme has been to date; and what he expects the average expenditure on a troubled family to be under the new programme starting in 2015-16.

Brandon Lewis: Under both the current Troubled Families programme' and the expanded programme from 2015-16, the average expenditure on a troubled family will vary according to the types of interventions used by local authorities and the complexity of the families' needs. DCLG does not hold this information centrally.
	For the current Troubled Families programme, we expect further information on this issue to be gathered through our evaluation. Further information on this is available here:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/news/study-to-assess-impact-of-troubled-families-work
	Further detail on the expanded programme is available here:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/news/massive-expansion-of-troubled-families-programme-announced

Fire Extinguishers

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate the Government made of the cost to the public purse of introducing fire sprinklers into new domestic properties in (a) 2002 and (b) 2013.

Don Foster: The Government made no estimate of the cost to the public purse of introducing fire sprinklers into new domestic properties in (a) 2002 and (b) 2013.
	The Department did commission a cost benefit study to look at the provision of sprinklers in residential buildings; the final report was published in 2005. This concluded that sprinklers are not cost effective for most dwellings.
	In 2008, further research was commissioned to consider the cost benefit case for installing sprinklers in the planned new homes in the Thames Gateway area compared to the costs of building and running new fire stations.
	The research findings were consistent with the previous 2005 study, and concluded that the value of the benefits of installing sprinklers would fall far short of the costs.
	New regulation on housing needs to be balanced and proportionate. Making sprinklers compulsory in all new homes would add an estimated £2,000 to £3,000 to the regulatory cost of a new-build home, meaning fewer new homes, making home ownership less accessible especially for first-time buyers, and potentially pushing up rents in the private rented sector.
	Smoke alarms, which have been shown to be very effective in saving lives and reducing injuries, are required in all new homes. We also strongly recommend that people should fit alarms in older homes and check them regularly.

Fracking: Planning Permission

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to his Statement of 6 June 2013, Official Report, column 113WS, on Onshore Wind (Local Planning), whether the provisions on greater community consultation and new planning practice guidance will apply to the installation of fracking rigs.

Nicholas Boles: We have recently made clear our intention to require compulsory pre-application consultation for more significant onshore wind development. We are keeping under review the case for using the powers introduced by the Localism Act for other types of development, and encourage pre-application consultation with local communities for all onshore oil and gas developments.
	Furthermore, the Department for Energy and Climate Change will publish before the summer proposals on the role community benefits might play in future shale gas development.
	At this stage the Government is keen to enable industry to carry out exploratory drilling to determine whether it is economically feasible to extract shale gas on a commercial basis.

Housing Improvement

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2013, Official Report, columns 286-7W, on housing improvement, 
	(1)  when he expects discussions with the Local Government Association on the effect of the neighbours' consultation scheme to conclude;
	(2)  if he will publish the conclusions of his discussions with the Local Government Association on the impact of the neighbours' consultation scheme.

Nicholas Boles: As set out in the ‘Extending Permitted Development Rights for Homeowners and Businesses Impact Assessment’, published on 9 May 2013, the Department has held discussions with the Local Government Association and shared its assessment of the overall impact of the neighbours' consultation scheme on local authorities. There is an open invitation to the Local Government Association to discuss our approach should operational experience suggest a need to revise the assumptions made.

Housing: Disability

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will introduce a national wheelchair-accessible housing register.

Mark Prisk: The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities are able to access suitable accommodation which meets their needs.
	Accessible housing registers can be useful and we are aware that some councils and social landlords have incorporated such an approach within their lettings scheme. We have no plans to introduce a national register.
	The Government believes it is more important that people who require accessible housing are given the right level of priority under a council's housing allocation scheme, and that councils and social landlords are able to make the best use of affordable housing in their area, including accommodation which is accessible or has been adapted.
	That is why through the Localism Act we have retained the statutory reasonable preference requirements which ensure that priority for social housing is given to those who need to move on medical and welfare grounds (including grounds relating to a disability). We have also made sure that council and housing association landlords have the flexibility to use their social housing stock in a way which best meets the needs of individual households and their local area.

Local Plans

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward legislative proposals to include the outcome of parish polls in lists of those matters that can be considered valid objections to a local authority's draft local plan.

Brandon Lewis: There are no plans to amend legislation on this issue. parish councils and local communities have the opportunity to put forward their views as part of the consultation process into the development of the local plan.
	At examination local planning authorities have to show how they have taken account of representations made during the development of the draft plan. Any representations are considered by the inspector during the examination.
	More broadly, the content of local plans is ultimately a matter for elected local councillors on the local planning authority. Councillors will rightly want to consider prevailing public opinion, as they are accountable to the public via the ballot box.

Markets

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what progress he has made following the Portas Review to make it easier for people to become market traders by removing unnecessary regulations;
	(2)  what progress he has made following the Portas Review to establish a new National Market Day.

Mark Prisk: The Government has been working closely with the retail markets industry to help deliver a revival in local markets in England since publication of its response to the Portas review. A National Market Day was held on 15 June 2012, but the retail markets industry concluded that a fortnight would be better than a day. So last summer, the national market day was part of two weeks of markets under the banner of &#x201cLove Your Local Market”, where new traders could take the first step on the entrepreneurial ladder with subsidised or free tables and support from market operators. 400 markets were held and 2,200 new traders took part in 2012. This has been repeated in May this year, when 700 places ran 3,500 markets. Government has supported the National Association of British Market Authorities with a grant of £25,000 to run this year's campaign.
	The Government issued a consultation on draft regulations to make it easier for street traders to set up and conduct legitimate business on the streets. The consultation period has now ended and a Government response will be published in the summer.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government also supports the Working Group on Retail Markets. It has endorsed a number of measures to make it easier for people to become market traders: by creating new markets through the "Love Your Local Market" campaign; encouraging market operators to become more relaxed in pursuing market rights policies; and supporting a range of local initiatives introduced by market operators and the National Market Traders' Federation through "First Pitch" and market apprenticeship schemes. The Working Group has also given detailed consideration to introducing a more flexible markets arrangement in London by utilising the Food Act 1984 instead of the existing London legislation.

Non-domestic Rates

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  if he will estimate the cost to (a) local authorities and (b) the Exchequer of exempting childcare providers from business rates;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the average annual business rates charge on properties used for the provision of childcare in each local authority.

Brandon Lewis: This cost cannot be calculated because we do not hold information on business rates yield specifically from child care providers.
	We have doubled small business rate relief until April 2014 and estimate that approximately half a million businesses in England are benefiting, with approximately a third of a million businesses paying no rates at all. We have made it easier for small firms to claim the small business rate relief to which they are entitled. We have also given authorities powers to provide their own business rates discounts which they can use as they see fit. Where they do so, central Government meets 50% of the costs.

Non-domestic Rates

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the recommendations of the Portas Review, what consideration he has given to a review on the basis on which business rates are calculated from RPI to CPI.

Brandon Lewis: The Government has committed to review the current use of RPI for business rates indexation once its fiscal consolidation plans have been implemented. Business rates in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government.

Retail Trade: Urban Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made since the publication of the Independent Review into the future of the high street following the Portas Review to shift town teams' focus on to making high streets accessible, attractive and safe.

Mark Prisk: The Government agrees with the importance of safe and accessible high streets and is committed to giving councils and their partners the powers and support to do this. For example, councils can introduce a late night levy for places selling alcohol after midnight to cover the cost of late night policing. The Government is actively promoting good town centre design and has published a guide to developing urban spaces to revitalise high streets.
	The Department for Transport is giving £1.8 billion to local authorities to improve transport infrastructure, including roads, pathways and cycle routes, with a further £560 million for sustainable transport and £15 million for cycle routes and facilities.
	The Association of Town and City Management are leading a £1 million two-year programme of work funded by DCLG to support and develop high streets and town centres, providing support on business planning, offering advice and developing ‘how to’ guides. The programme is designed to develop high streets fit for the 21st century, and will look at how communities can plan to meet their changing needs.
	Portas pilots containing elements that are addressing this recommendation are Wolverhampton, Stockport, Nelson, Liskeard, Bedminster, Dartford, Market Rasen, Brighton London Road, Tiverton, Morecambe Town, Margate pilot and Liverpool pilots.

Urban Areas: Parking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress he has made following the Portas review to encourage local areas to implement free controlled parking schemes for their town centres and a parking league table.

Mark Prisk: Government has changed planning rules on parking. We have removed the previous Government's approach to setting parking fees to discourage car use and provide ‘maximum' parking levels. We have issued guidance that encourages councils to attract shoppers by setting competitive parking charges, and to improve the quality of parking in town centres so that it is convenient safe and secure.
	A number of the Portas Pilots have addressed parking issues over the last year. Braintree has introduced parking charges of 10p after 3 pm and all day on Sunday. More than 44,000 extra cars took advantage of this over the course of the year, representing a significant increase in footfall in the late afternoons.
	We encourage all local authorities to be transparent and publish parking charges. We have consulted on whether or not parking information, including the number of spaces available and revenue from parking charges and fines, should be included as a dataset for publication in the Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities on Data Transparency. We will publish our response by summer. We are considering what further steps can be taken to ensure that parking policies and practices support local high streets.

Urban Areas: Regeneration

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans the Prime Minister has to meet Mary Portas on the issue of regenerating high streets.

Mark Prisk: I have been asked to reply 
	as the Minister with responsibility for high streets and town centres.
	In May 2011, the Government asked Mary Portas to undertake an independent review into the future of the high street. Mary Portas presented her findings to Government in December 2011. The Government issued its formal response to the Portas review in March 2012 and has since been taking action to support the high street. Mary Portas has continued to take an interest in and has generously given her time to support a number of the Portas Pilots that were set up in response to her review. I wrote to Mary Portas last month to update her on progress on high streets issues. I have placed a copy of the letter in the Library.

Urban Areas: Regeneration

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Portas review on the future of high streets, published in December 2011, what progress has been made on enabling successful business improvement districts (BIDs) to take on more powers and responsibilities and become Super BIDs.

Mark Prisk: We have engaged with business improvement district partners and interested groups to discuss the concept of ‘Super BIDs'. Many of these are already taking on additional roles reflecting the local issues they face and it was felt there would be little value in meeting national criteria to be a “Super BID”. However there was strong support for providing help to those who wish to take on more responsibilities in their local areas. We will shortly be implementing new regulations to allow business improvement districts in England to operate across more than one local authority area, consulting on a new model led by property owners, and seeking tenders to operate a £500,000 recyclable loan fund to help proposed new business improvement districts with their start up costs. Business improvement districts policy in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government.

Electricity Generation

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 819W, on electricity generation, if he will set out his modelling of spending on Renewables Obligation and Contracts for Difference for each year from 2015.

Michael Fallon: This Government has set out the Levy Control Framework total maximum spend profile to 2020-21.
	Actual spending is subject to a great deal of uncertainty as it depends on how technology costs evolve, as well as future gas prices and wholesale electricity prices to 2020-21.
	We will publish modelling of forecast spending on Renewables Obligation and Contracts for Difference in a number of scenarios as part of the draft Electricity Market Reform (EMR) Delivery Plan in July 2013.

Energy Companies Obligation

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward legislative proposals to cap the total costs of the Energy Company Obligation should those costs increase above the figure forecast in his Department's impact assessment.

Gregory Barker: The Department does not have the legislative powers to establish a buy out or cost cap for the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), nor does the Department have plans to implement one at present. However, we will be closely monitoring the costs associated with delivery. Based on the prices of lots traded on the ECO brokerage platform to date, initial estimates indicate that ECO is broadly on track to be delivered at around the estimated costs in last year's final Impact Assessment.

Energy Companies Obligation

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with (a) British Gas, (b) SSE, (c) Scottish Power, (d) First Utility, (e) EDF and (f) E.On on the costs of delivery the Energy Company Obligation; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Department has had close engagement with obligated suppliers regarding their Energy Company Obligation (ECO) obligations and the costs of their delivery and we are committed to the ongoing monitoring of the actual costs of ECO. Based on the prices of lots traded on the ECO brokerage platform to date, initial estimates indicate that ECO is broadly on track to be delivered at around the estimated costs in last year's final Impact Assessment.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the total tonnage of greenhouse gases emitted through business operations by (a) npower, (b) EDF, (c) Scottish Power, (d) E.ON, (e) British Gas and (f) SSE in each of the last five years. [162267 ]
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Gregory Barker: The Government do not hold this data in the format requested. Direct carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from some sites operated by these companies are recorded under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).
	Cumulative EU ETS emissions data 2008-12 at site level:
	http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets/registry/docs/compliance_2012_en.xlsx
	The EU ETS data only indicate the site name and not the name of the operator/parent company.
	For compliance years 2010-11 and 2011-12 of the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, the Environment Agency published Performance League Tables (PLTs) showing the CO2 emissions of participants based on their qualifying energy usage under the scheme. This is set out in the following table and the full tables are available online at the links underneath:
	
		
			 Tonnes CO2 equivalent 
			  2010-11 2011-12 
			 British Gas 25,371 23,083 
			 EDF Energy 30,105 23,167 
			 RWE npower 29,674 27,460 
			 Scottish Power 58,882 57,563 
			 Scottish and Southern Electric 88,052 83,641 
		
	
	2010-11 PLT:
	http://crc.environment-agency.gov.uk/pplt/web/plt/public/2010-11/CRCPerformanceLeagueTable20102011
	2011-12 PLT:
	http://crc.environment-agency.gov.uk/pplt/web/plt/public/2011-12/CRCPerformanceLeagueTable20112012
	The CRC data excludes emissions from electricity generation by these companies as those emissions do not form part of the CRC but are reported under the EU ETS.
	From 1 October 2013 all UK quoted companies will be required to report on their greenhouse gas emissions as part of their annual directors' report.

Mobile Phones

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which companies supply (a) mobile telephones and (b) mobile data services to his Department.

Gregory Barker: Vodafone are the single supplier of mobile telephones and mobile data services to the Department.

Renewable Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2013, Official Report, column 461W, on renewable energy, how much of the renewable electricity capacity installed between the end of March 2010 and the end of 2012 had (a) planning determined and (b) construction begun before May 2010.

Michael Fallon: Energy trends does not capture this information.
	However, the renewable energy planning database (REPD) tracks the progress of projects from planning through to generation, available at:
	https://restats.decc.gov.uk/app/reporting/decc/monthlyextract
	The database shows that in the period May 2010 to December 2012, 5.2 GW became operational. Of this, 4.1 GW (78%) had received planning consent before May 2010. The REPD does not routinely track the date construction begins.

Renewable Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2013, Official Report, columns 461-62W, on renewable energy, what proportion of the £29 billion of new investment in renewable energy since 2010 is (a) operational, (b) had planning determined before May 2010 and (c) construction begun before May 2010.

Gregory Barker: There is no central database which records jobs and investment in renewable energy.
	In order to arrive at these figures, DECC used the renewable energy planning database (REPD) to identify projects which have publicly announced jobs and/or investment details, available at:
	https://restats.decc.gov.uk/app/reporting/decc/monthlyextract
	Of the £29 billion worth of large scale investment in renewable energy publicly announced since 2010 and recorded by DECC, 0.6% (£185 million) was operational as at May 2010 and 5.4% (£1,575 million) had received planning consent between 1 January and 30 April 2010. The REPD does not routinely track the date construction begins.

Wind Power

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change at what stage during the planning process the wind farm developer becomes eligible for the Government subsidies offered for the development of a wind farm.

Gregory Barker: holding answer 27 June 2013
	Wind generating stations are eligible for support under the Renewables Obligation. Stations up to 5 megawatts in scale may, alternatively, apply for support under the Feed-in Tariff, scheme. The developer of such a station would have to have obtained planning consent before installing the turbines, and only once the station is commissioned could the developer apply for accreditation under either scheme. Support is only issued to accredited stations in respect of the renewable electricity they generate.

Driving Under Influence

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on steps taken in Scotland and Northern Ireland on the drink-drive blood alcohol limit; and if he will reconsider his policy on Sir Peter North's recommendation to lower the drink-drive limit in England and Wales. [R]

Stephen Hammond: I liaise with my counterparts from Scotland and Northern Ireland and a wide range of issues is discussed.
	The Government has no plans to lower the drink drive limit in England and Wales.

Network Rail

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has conducted of the effectiveness of Network Rail's voluntary transparency code.

Norman Baker: The coalition Government welcomes Network Rail's transparency scheme which was launched in June 2012. The scheme responds to demand for more of the company's data and information to be made freely available, acknowledging Network Rail's status as a regulated provider of public services in receipt of public subsidy.
	Given Network Rail's status as a private sector company limited by guarantee, the Government has made no formal assessment of the effectiveness of the scheme. However, we will continue to keep track of Network Rail's progress as we pursue the principle of transparency across the wider rail industry.

Rescue Services: Helicopters

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what commitment the Government has secured on the new Air and Sea Rescue Helicopter contract to ensure that the same level of response will be provided.

Stephen Hammond: Minimum operating parameters for the new contract were established based on the existing search and rescue capability and historic incident patterns. These include requirements to take off within 15 minutes by day and 45 minutes by night, achieve at least 98% aircraft availability and reach all very high and high risk areas and 75% of medium risk areas within one hour of take off. Bristow Helicopters Ltd more than satisfied the minimum requirements and we predict that average flying times to incidents under the new contract will improve by approximately 20%.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed cameras are currently operational in the UK; and how many speed cameras were operational in each of the last four years.

Stephen Hammond: The Department for Transport does not hold the requested information. Local authorities have statutory duties related to road safety and the decisions about whether they operate speed cameras is a matter for them.

Housing Benefit Costs

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the effect of rising costs in the private rented housing sector on benefit expenditure.

Steve Webb: In the decade before this Government came to power, real terms private rent inflation increased housing benefit expenditure by around £3 billion per year. Further information about this estimate has been published today as an ad hoc statistical analysis on the Department’s website.
	We took action to get the Housing Benefit Bill under control, and as a result, by the end of the Parliament our local housing allowance reforms will save just around £2 billion annually.

Zero-hours Contracts

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the ability of his Department to deal with those on zero-hour contracts who are in receipt of benefits.

Mark Hoban: There are around 200,000 people employed on zero hours contracts—less than 1% of all workers.
	The current benefit system does deal with claimants on zero-hour contracts—although because of the split between out of work benefits and tax credits, it can be complicated for someone with fluctuating earnings.
	UC will make it easier for those with fluctuating earnings such as those on zero-hour contracts. The use of real time earnings information will make the process easier and more secure.

Children: Maintenance

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that those on the 1993 and 2003 child maintenance schemes are referred to the new child maintenance scheme;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that child support payments are administered under a single scheme.

Steve Webb: In December 2012, we introduced the new 2012 statutory maintenance scheme, using a pathfinder approach, to clients with four or more children.
	Once the 2012 scheme has opened to all new applicants, and has been shown to be working well, the Government intends to begin a gradual process of ending liabilities on cases in the previous Child Support Agency schemes. Parents in these ‘CSA’ schemes will be invited to consider making their own family-based arrangements for maintenance or to apply to the new Child Maintenance Service, which operates the 2012 scheme.
	Arrears that have accrued on cases under the 1993 and 2003 schemes will continue to be collected by the Child Maintenance Service after the closure of these schemes, whether or not a new case is opened on the 2012 scheme, and no collection charges will be levied for this service.

Housing Benefit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many housing benefit claims were made by (a) local authority, (b) housing association and (c) private sector tenants in each government region in each November since November 2008.

Steve Webb: The information from November 2010 to November 2012 is shown in the following table. Data prior to November 2010 is not available.
	
		
			 Total number of housing benefit new claims, November 2010-November 2012 
			  New claims Local authority tenants Registered social landlord tenants Private tenants 
			 November 2010     
			 All 144,635 29,318 35,644 79,036 
			 East 11,863 1,886 3,455 6,492 
			 South East 16,393 2,195 4,239 9,875 
			 North West 17,219 2,144 4,958 10,014 
			 South West 12,406 1,332 2,958 8,089 
		
	
	
		
			 East Midlands 9,714 2,058 2,048 5,554 
			 North East 6,449 1,210 1,823 3,408 
			 West Midlands 13,111 2,711 3,478 6,888 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 13,531 2,971 2,921 7,540 
			 London 20,472 4,559 4,157 11,610 
			 Wales 7,654 1,530 1,988 4,107 
			 Scotland 15,823 6,722 3,619 5,459 
			      
			 November 2011     
			 All 148,819 29,793 36,564 81,383 
			 East 11,672 1,701 3,367 6,535 
			 South East 16,965 2,235 4,414 10,210 
			 North West 17,304 1,612 5,388 10,188 
			 South West 11,744 1,264 2,768 7,658 
			 East Midlands 10,430 2,260 2,157 5,980 
			 North East 7,264 1,468 1,965 3,809 
			 West Midlands 13,459 2,983 3,521 6,889 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 14,758 3,071 3,010 8,543 
			 London 20,739 4,725 4,320 11,443 
			 Wales 7,647 1,360 1,980 4,200 
			 Scotland 16,837 7,114 3,674 5,928 
			      
			 November 2012     
			 All 141,072 27,229 35,280 77,305 
			 East 11,032 1,741 3,009 6,115 
			 South East 16,074 2,182 4,153 9,584 
			 North West 17,654 1,391 5,824 10,309 
			 South West 11,483 1,240 2,933 7,226 
			 East Midlands 9,175 1,907 2,002 5,232 
			 North East 7,266 1,424 1,962 3,855 
			 West Midlands 12,885 2,750 3,267 6,780 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 12,708 2,688 2,607 7,297 
			 London 20,801 4,650 4,334 11,522 
			 Wales 7,198 1,185 1,855 4,073 
			 Scotland 14,796 6,071 3,334 5,312 
			 Notes: 1. Great Britain, England, Scotland and Wales figures are based on published data. 2. Totals are based on the available data, ignoring authorities with missing data. Hence, this total is an under-estimate of the true total. 3. Data for November 2009 and November 2008 are unavailable. This is due to the fact that previously we provided a combination of the two speed of processing measures (Changes and Events) for each local authority as a ‘Right Time Indicator'. This has now been discontinued. 4. Registered Social Landlord cases (RSL) were previously Housing Association. 5. A small number of claims with no tenancy type recorded are shown in the overall total of new claims, but not in the tenancy breakdown. Hence, the tenancy breakdown does not sum to the total of new claims. Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE)

Social Security Benefits

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many staff are involved in manually checking the IT system for the benefit cap;
	(2)  what the cost is of employing staff to manually check the IT system for the benefit cap;
	(3)  what manual processes exist for checking the IT system for the benefit cap; and for how long this manual process will be in place.

Mark Hoban: Data taken from DWP, HMRC and LA systems, which is used to identify households potentially affected by the benefit cap, is subject to a manual check before data is sent to local authorities for capping to take place. This check is to verify the benefits paid to a household and to check whether any exemptions should apply. This process will remain in place until such time that an automated solution is developed and introduced.
	During 2013-14, on current plans the following numbers of staff will be involved in interrogating all relevant existing departmental IT systems for benefit cap:
	
		
			  Number 
			 April 30 
			 May 30 
			 June 30 
			 July 112 
			 August 112 
			 September 112 
			 October 28 
			 November 28 
			 December 28 
			 January 28 
			 February 28 
			 March 28 
		
	
	The staff cost to carry out that manual check in 2013-14 is currently expected to be around £1.3 million.

Social Security Benefits

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make an assessment of the Oxfam and Church Poverty Action report on Walking the Breadline: The Scandal of Food Poverty in 21st Century Britain and its conclusions on the benefit system and the benefit sanctions regime.

Mark Hoban: The Government does all that it can to help people find employment. It is also right for the taxpayer to expect those who are claiming out of work benefits to be doing all they can to find a job.
	Jobseekers enter into an agreement with Jobcentre Plus that they will undertake a series of actions in order to optimise their search for work. If they do not without good reason follow these requirements then it is only right that a sanction is applied. Reduced payments are made where necessary to prevent hardship.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many fraud investigations undertaken by his Department in the last 12 months have been halted because of non availability of translators;
	(2)  how many bookings were made for translators to be present at his Department's Fraud Investigation Service/Single Fraud Investigation Service interviews in each month since June 2011.

Mark Hoban: There are two primary providers of the translator service to the Department's Fraud Investigation Service/Single Fraud Investigation Service and these are Prestige and Bigword.
	For Prestige, there have been 2,409 fraud interviews involving interpreters between August 2011 and May 2013. Between January and May of this year, 53 fraud interviews were cancelled as a result of non-availability; data before this date is not available.
	DWP does not hold the information requested information for Bigword, but it can be obtained from the supplier, which will take several weeks. I will write to the right hon. Member once the information has been obtained from the supplier.

State Retirement Pensions

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracted-in pension schemes there are in the UK.

Steve Webb: The total number in 2011 (the latest year for which data was available) was 37,960, with the vast majority (33,410) being in small schemes (two to 11 members). The source for this data is the 2012 Occupational Pension Schemes Survey, produced annually by the ONS.
	
		
			 Number of private sector occupational pension schemes with only one section: by size and route to contracting out, 2011, United Kingdom 
			  COSRS COMBS COM PS Total contracted out Total not contracted out 
			 5,000+ 140 10 20 180 80 
			 1,000 to 4,999 450 40 50 540 280 
			 100 to 999 1,600 80 180 1,880 1,690 
			 12 to 99 (1)— (1)— 370 1,470 2,500 
			 2 to 11 (1)— (1)— 1,310 1,490 33,410 
			 Total 3,290 310 1,940 5,560 37,960 
			 (1) Indicates cells that have been suppressed to protect confidentiality. Key: COSRS = Contracted Out Salary Related Scheme; COMBS = Contracted Out Mixed Benefit Scheme; COMPS = Contracted Out Money Purchase Scheme. Notes: 1. Excludes non response. 2. Total contracted out column includes schemes that did not provide information about method (COSRS, COMBS, COMPS) of contracting out. 3. Estimates for very small schemes are subject to considerable uncertainty, so figures for such schemes should be interpreted with caution. Source: Occupational Pension Schemes Survey

Livestock: Transport

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will discuss with his EU counterpart a strategy to replace the long distance transport of live farm animals with a policy whereby animals are reared reasonably near to the farm of birth and slaughtered reasonably near to the farm of rearing; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: The Government continues to support the principle that the slaughter of livestock should be as close as is practicable to their place of production.
	However, the number one priority under the current EU Commission strategy on the protection of animals during transport, which was endorsed by the majority of member states in June of last year, is for the better enforcement of the existing rules on the transportation of animals (Council Regulation (EC) 1/2005. The strategy precludes any further changes to the Council regulation for the time being.
	Given these circumstances, there would be little to be gained in holding bilateral discussions with my EU counterparts as the hon. Member has suggested.

Sharks: Conservation

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make it his policy to ban the sale of shark fin soup in restaurants.

Richard Benyon: The UK Government is aware of the conservation implications of the international trade in shark fins and the need for more stringent controls to ensure any such trade is rooted in sustainable fishing practices. While the UK opposes, and has banned, wasteful finning (removal and retention of shark fins at sea, but discarding the carcass), the Government does not oppose fishing for species where scientific advice indicates that they can be sustainably exploited. We do however promote full utilisation of the shark.
	The UK cannot unilaterally take action to ban shark fin soup without contravening EU trade agreements and World Trade Organisation (WTO) obligations. In addition, the conservation benefits for sharks of implementing a UK wide ban are considered minimal at best.
	However, we are not complacent. We believe the market for shark fin products in the UK is decreasing and we will continue to support campaigns that raise public awareness and change consumer and retailer behaviour.
	We will also continue to work closely with stakeholders, including the Shark Trust and the fishing industry, to ensure sharks are properly managed and conserved globally. We consider that the most effective means of protecting sharks is by continuing to press for a range of international conservation and management measures within the appropriate bodies. This includes pushing for changes to ensure all sharks are landed with their ‘fins naturally attached’ (thus removing the possibility of shark finning occurring) and supporting scientifically robust proposals for regulating the international trade in shark products through the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES).

Mobile Phones

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which companies supply (a) mobile telephones and (b) mobile data services to her Department.

Hugh Robertson: Mobile telephones are provided by Vodafone and O2. Mobile data services are also provided by Vodafone and O2. Both services are obtained through central contracts via Government Procurement Service.

Developing Countries: Agriculture

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans her Department has to ensure that the agricultural extension workers whose work her Department supports address the issue of land degradation in their work.

Lynne Featherstone: Support to agricultural extension is delivered through NGOs and other civil society organisations, private sector company partnerships, investment in key multilateral organisations and support for agricultural research initiatives. DFID plans to contribute £63.5 million in the next two financial years to the World Bank led Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme. In at least 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, DFID is investing in smallholders. Soil degradation can be a significant threat their productivity, so where appropriate, extension activities are focused on soil and water conservation as a major priority for sustainable, climate-smart development.

Ecuador

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will offer support to the government of Ecuador in preserving the Yasuni rainforest reserve.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK Government recognises the importance of forests in supporting livelihoods, protecting biodiversity and mitigating climate change. The UK does not provide bilateral development assistance to Ecuador, nor is it one of the priority countries for bilateral assistance on forests through the UK's International Climate Fund.

Syria

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to provide relief and assistance to Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Justine Greening: To date the UK has provided a total of £19.5 million to support the refugee response in Lebanon. This funding is already providing support including food for almost 20,000 refugees, shelter assistance and financial support to 4,000 people as well as safe drinking water and sanitation services to 40,000 people, including refugees and vulnerable host communities. We have also funded a humanitarian adviser to work with the Government of Lebanon, to support them in their coordination of the refugee response.
	The Prime Minister announced a further £175 million for Syria at the G8. Further details on allocation of this funding will be announced shortly.

World Population Day

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures or events her Department is planning to mark World Population Day in July 2013.

Lynne Featherstone: Lord Ahmad will speak on DFID's behalf at a World Population Day event being held on 10 July, hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Population, Development and Reproductive Health and the International Planned Parenthood Federation. The theme this year is "Healthy Lives: Young women, rights and pregnancy".

Pregnant Women: Alcoholic Drinks

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to promote abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy; and if he will work with the devolved assemblies to begin a UK-wide publicity strategy of this policy.

Anna Soubry: UK chief medical officers' advice is that women should avoid alcohol if they are pregnant or trying to conceive.
	If women do choose to drink, our advice is that it is best to minimise the risk to the baby by not drinking more than one to two units of alcohol once or twice a week, and by not getting drunk.
	In England, the Department's Start4life campaign provides advice to pregnant women on establishing healthy habits to give their babies the best start in life and reduce the risk of poor health in life. As part of this campaign, the Department has launched a leaflet that includes information on alcohol and the reasons why it is best avoided in pregnancy.
	On 18 May 2012, the Government launched the National Health Service Information Service for Parents. This digital service for parents provides regular NHS and other quality assured advice for both mothers and fathers on staying healthy in pregnancy, preparing for birth and looking after their baby, and includes advice on risks of drinking before conception and during pregnancy.
	The Government is also committed to improving the labelling of alcoholic drinks, which would help make people more aware of how much alcohol they are drinking, what the guidelines are and what the risks are, including for those who are pregnant.
	As part of the Public Health Responsibility Deal, alcohol retailers and producers have a responsibility to raise this awareness for those who drink and have committed to putting the warning 'Avoid alcohol if pregnant or trying to conceive', or an alternative logo, on 80% of labels on shelf by 2013.
	Responsibilities for matters such as health education and campaigns in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are for the devolved Administrations.

Youth Custody

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the use of restorative justice approaches within the secure children's estate.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice has conducted an evaluation of a number of restorative justice pilot schemes. Four reports were published over the period 2004 to 2008 which made reference to the use of restorative justice in respect of young offenders. However, there has not been a specific evaluation of the use of restorative justice in the youth secure estate. The reports are available at:
	http://www.restorativejustice.org.uk/resource/ministry_of_justice_evaluation_implementing_restorative_justice_ schemes_crime_reduction_programme_the_first_year_report/
	This Government is committed to encouraging greater use of restorative justice and published its Restorative Justice Action Plan for the Criminal Justice System on 19 November 2012. Following on from that, a key action in the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales' Business Plan for 2013-14 is to promote restorative justice approaches with a focus on the development of practice in the youth secure estate.

Burma

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his Burmese counterpart to encourage a safe and voluntary return process for displaced Rohingya Muslims in Burma.

Hugo Swire: The Minister of State, Department for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr Duncan), visited Burma between 17 and 20 June 2013, including Rakhine State. In meetings with the Deputy Minister for Border Affairs, Rakhine State's Chief Minister, and with local authorities, he called for a comprehensive and transparent plan for the safe and voluntary return or resettlement of all peoples displaced by the violence in Rakhine.
	The British Government continues to make clear to the Burmese Government at all levels the need for accountability, respect for human rights and urgent humanitarian action in Rakhine. Mr Duncan raised these points, and also pressed the Burmese Government to ensure that all people in Rakhine have equal access to health care and education; freedom of movement and livelihood opportunities. We also raise these issues in regular discussions with the UN, as I did with Baroness Amos, UN Under- Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, on 28 May 2013.

Burma

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the compliance of the reintroduction of the Burmese directive placing a two-child limit on Rohingya couples in the townships of Buthidaung and Maungdaw with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 1979 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989; and what representations he has made to his Burmese counterparts on this issue.

Hugo Swire: We do not support a two-child policy applying to any community in Burma: such a policy contravenes international human rights standards, including UN treaties to which the Burmese Government has signed up. We have welcomed Aung San Suu Kyi's statement that any enforcement of a two-child policy would be discriminatory and not in line with the upholding of human rights in Burma.
	During his visit to Burma on 14 June, the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, raised our concerns with the Government in Naypyidaw. Subsequently, the Minister of State, Department for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr Duncan), raised concerns about the two-child policy during his visit to Rakhine State from 19-20 June and again with Ministers in Naypyidaw, including the Minister for Health. We will continue to raise this matter with the Burmese Government at all appropriate opportunities, along with our other concerns in Rakhine State.

Eritrea

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Eritrea about the kidnapping in North Africa of Eritrean citizens who have relatives in the UK who have received ransom demands on their behalf.

Mark Simmonds: In April 2013 the Africa director at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office raised our concerns over reports of kidnapping and people trafficking of Eritrean citizens from neighbouring countries with the Eritrean Presidential Advisor. In the same month our ambassador in Asmara discussed how to tackle the problem during the Article 8 dialogue between the EU and the Eritrean authorities. We have urged the Government of Eritrea to co-operate fully with the UNHCR, which is conducting victim protection and awareness-raising activities, as well as to address the underlying reasons for flight from the country.

Hezbollah

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to encourage the EU to add Hezbollah to its proscribed list of terrorist organisations.

Alistair Burt: The Government continues to believe that the appropriate response to Hezbollah's Military Wing for their terrorist activities in recent years, including in Bulgaria and Cyprus in 2012, is EU designation as a terrorist organisation, in line with our national proscription of Hezbollah's military wing. Ministerial colleagues, senior officials and I continue to have the necessary discussions with our EU counterparts to achieve this aim.

Israel

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  if he will make immediate representations to the government of Israel over its decision to set in motion the Prawer Plan for the removal of 40,000 Bedouin people from their ancestral homeland;
	(2)  if he will discuss with his EU counterparts making a co-ordinated approach to the government of Israel over its decision to set in motion the Prawer Plan for the removal of 40,000 Bedouin people from their ancestral homeland;
	(3)  if he will request that the US Government should make immediate representations to the Government of Israel over its decision to set in motion the Prawer Plan for the removal of 40,000 Bedouin people from their ancestral homeland.

Alistair Burt: We continue to follow closely Israeli Government plans with respect to Bedouin land claims and unrecognised villages in the Negev. We remain concerned by the possible relocation of thousands of Bedouin. I discussed the proposed legislation with Members of the Knesset when I visited Israel earlier this month. Officials at the British embassy in Tel Aviv are in regular contact with Bedouin leaders and activists, and our ambassador has discussed the proposed legislation with relevant Ministers and parliamentarians. The embassy has also discussed this issue with EU and other partners in Tel Aviv.

Sierra Leone

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the security situation in Kailahun province, Sierra Leone.

Mark Simmonds: We closely monitor the security situation across Sierra Leone to ensure that our travel advice is accurate and up to date. That travel advice reflects our current assessment there remain some minimal security risks in Sierra Leone.
	The UK Government, along with its international partners, works closely with the Government of Sierra Leone to ensure a stable and secure environment. Britain is also contributing to a programme of security sector reform through the International Security Advisory Team, which includes training Sierra Leone's armed forces and border security.

Somalia

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to support the African Union Forces fighting al-Shabab and other terrorist groups in Somalia following the recent attack on the UN office in Mogadishu.

Mark Simmonds: I reiterate the comments of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), in condemning this attack against the heart of the UN's operations in Somalia, in which 15 people were killed. My thoughts are with the victims and their families, friends and colleagues. The UN are leading efforts to provide political and practical support to Somalia and the Somali people, including life-saving humanitarian assistance. To murder staff working for the UN is utterly indefensible.
	Britain strongly supports the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and we applaud their efforts, to support Somalia's national security forces and local Somali guards in bringing this incident under control so quickly and with such professionalism. AMISOM's contribution in Somalia is vital. We continue to support them through: UK pre-deployment training; UK contributions to the EU who provide funding for AMISOM troop stipends; UK contributions to the UN who cover AMISOM's logistical support needs; and a bilateral contribution of £16 million in 2012-13 to AMISOM's trust fund. We were pleased to see AMISOM's mandate renewed in the UN Security Council in March and will continue to support their work following this attack.

Syria

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the Prime Minister's speech of 14 June 2013 at No. 10 Downing street, if he will publish in full the evidential basis for the Prime Minister's statement that the Syrian Government has used chemical weapons against Syrian people.

Alistair Burt: We have physiological samples from inside Syria which have been tested at Porton Down and which have tested positive for sarin. We believe that chemical weapons have been used by the Assad Regime. However, the process of gathering more information is ongoing and we have been working with others to obtain more and better evidence.
	Where we own important evidence or information ourselves, such as the samples received and analysed by UK officials, we have briefed the UN investigation team, shared the information with international partners, and made appropriate details public. We will look at further information and consider whether it is possible to do so again. However, we cannot publish details regarding samples or specific incidents where to do so could put our sources of information at risk.
	The Prime Minister has tasked the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee to give the National Security Council frequently updated assessments of the information we and our allies have.

Turkey

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan on the Turkish Government's response to the protests in Gezi Park, Taksim Square and elsewhere; and what assessment he has made of whether that Government's response is in accordance with Turkey's human rights commitments under international law.

David Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), discussed the protests with Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish Foreign Minister on 11 June as part of a broader discussion and encouraged a peaceful resolution. I made the same points to the Turkish EU Affairs Minister, Egemen Bagis on 13 June.
	It is important the police act proportionately in response to the protests. The Turkish authorities have accepted that some police tactics have been heavy handed. The right to peaceful protest and freedom of assembly are fundamental human rights, and we urge Turkey to respond proportionately to all expressions of protest in line with its ECMR obligations and other international human rights commitments.

Business: ICT

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what help his Department is providing to small businesses to receive training in IT skills.

Michael Fallon: The Information Economy Strategy, published on 14 June 2013, contains a number of actions to improve digital skills. Following work by the Department, industry will launch this autumn a programme to help provide small businesses with the skills to successfully transact online. The programme aims to reach 1.6 million businesses over the next five years.

Business: Loans

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what days and at which locations roadshows on the business bank programme prospective applicants have been (a) held to date and (b) scheduled for future dates; and how many such roadshows have been attended by Ministers.

Michael Fallon: Roadshows for the Business Bank’s £300 million investment programme were held in London, Edinburgh and Manchester on 26 April, 2 May and 7 May respectively, following the programme’s launch on 10 April. The purpose of the information sessions was to give prospective applicants the opportunity to ask policy officials detailed questions about the application process. There was therefore no reason for ministerial attendance.
	Further information, slides from the sessions, and questions and answers are available online at:
	https://www.gov.uk/investment-programme-to-encourage-lending-to-smes
	We will consider running other sessions in UK locations if there is sufficient demand.

Comet Group

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has received a report from the Insolvency Service report into Comet.

Jo Swinson: The Insolvency Service's investigation into Comet is still under way. The Insolvency Service aims to complete the vast majority of this type of inquiry within six months, and had hoped to be able to do so in this case too. However, this is a particularly large and complex case involving a company which had a turnover of over £1 billion and it is important to ensure that the depth and thoroughness of the inquiry is not impeded by imposing time limits.

Construction: Industry

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to assist small and medium-sized construction companies.

Michael Fallon: Government has committed to ensure that 25% of all Government procurement should be from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
	Further, Government and the construction industry will launch Construction 2025—an industrial strategy for construction, on Tuesday 2 July. A vibrant SME sector is essential to the future of the construction industry. That industrial strategy will therefore contain a number steps to address to assist small and medium-sized construction companies.

Flood Control

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what joint projects his Department has participated in with businesses developing new flood protection technologies in each of the last three years; and in which regions such projects have been conducted.

David Willetts: The Technology Strategy Board, a BIS sponsored body, has supported a number of projects in the area of flood protection and flood related technologies in the last three years, as follows:
	
		
			 Company Region Grant (£) Project 
			 Vegetable Consultancy Services Ltd East 5,000 Sewage treatment technologies in respect of toxins and contaminants from flood water 
			 Aquobex Ltd South East 5,000 Glass as a flood protection material 
			 Aquobex Ltd South East 135,000 Flood control door 
			 Fluvial Innovations Ltd South West 88,560 Modular flood barrier 
			 Barnard Microsystems Ltd London 24,000 3D terrain generation images for use in, for example, disaster relief (eg flooding) 
		
	
	
		
			 Ambiental Technical Solutions Ltd South East 8,000 Deployment of new technologies (eg cloud piercing satellites, image processing technology, high performance computing and internet-based digital mapping) to improve post-event flood response, and insurance loss estimation 
			 University of Liverpool North West 77,788 Flood risk assessment commercial service underpinned by hydrology data, modelling and robust procedures for case-by-case scenarios 
			 Ambiental Technical Solutions Ltd South East 14,520 Flood risk modelling and dissemination of derived flood risk data products to consumers and businesses in the UK 
			 Cambridge Wireless Ltd London 50,000 Creation of new Smart data services eg severe weather warnings to trigger alerts to vulnerable patient groups 
			 Atlantic Water Co Ltd Scotland 40,518 Water Generator to remove impurities from contaminated water, eg river, swamp or flood water, and make it suitable for drinking 
			 Larkfleet Ltd East Midlands 23,500 Smart flood home, lightweight building system 
			 Southampton City Council South East 50,000 Co-ordination of essential public and private investments in infrastructure which underpin the Future Southampton programme. This encompasses sustainable travel, major city transport schemes, flood risk management, district energy and renewables, waste management, estates regeneration, school and hospitals retrofit, port access and logistics 
			 Leeds and Bradford Councils Yorkshire and Humber 50,000 Co-ordination and integration of systems in ultrafast broadband, healthcare, medical technology, transport, buildings, energy and water services, and flood alleviation and prevention measures

Foreign Workers

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps he has taken to reduce the number of jobs being moved out of the UK.

Michael Fallon: The Government has taken decisive action to protect the economy in this period of global uncertainty.
	The Government considers it can best help increase UK employment by developing the conditions that will ensure balanced, sustainable growth. This involves establishing a dynamic business environment, driven by open and competitive markets. This is at the heart of the Government's Plan for Growth.
	The current employment level is 29.7 million, which is above the pre-recession peak and 434,000 higher than a year earlier.
	In addition, last year there were 1,434 inward investment projects in the UK, which created or safeguarded 94,500 jobs.

Green Investment Bank

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the funds allocated to each project supported by the Green Investment Bank have been drawn down to date; and when each such project is expected to be fully funded.

Michael Fallon: In financial year 2012/13, the Green Investment Bank (GIB) deployed £121.5 million and has since made further deployments totalling over £50 million. The GIB has published details of the total financial commitments it has made. The specific timing of the draw down of funds is an operational matter for the parties involved in financing the individual projects.

Higher Education

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received in respect of the 11 Confucius Institutes at British universities.

David Willetts: I have not received any representations in respect of the 11 Confucius institutions at British universities.
	Confucius institutions operate within universities, colleges and secondary schools around the world, providing funding, teachers and educational materials. They are non-profit public institutions aligned with the Chinese Government that aim to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching and facilitate cultural exchanges.
	Our relationship with China is important and we continue to broaden and strengthen our ties. More Chinese students are choosing to study here than ever before and more of our schools are teaching Mandarin than ever before.
	At the last UK-China education summit, held in October 2011, UK and Chinese Ministers signed the UK-China Partners in Education Action Plan which has made significant progress in strengthening higher education partnerships and promoting student mobility. In addition, the ministerial level People to People Dialogue in April 2012 highlighted the strength of the UK-China education and cultural relationship.
	We have over 150 UK-China university partnerships. More than 100,000 Chinese students come to study at UK schools, colleges and universities. The number of students from mainland China enrolled at UK higher education institutions continues to increase, from 45,000 students in 2007/08 to nearly 79,000 in 2011/12, an increase of 74%. There are around 4,250 UK students studying in China, which is a similar proportion to the number of Chinese students in the UK.

Industry

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to publish a progress report on implementation of industrial strategy in 2013.

Michael Fallon: The Government, in partnership with the CBI, will hold an Industrial Strategy Conference on 11 September 2013 at which progress developing and implementing industrial strategy will be discussed. The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), will provide an update to the House through a written ministerial statement the same day.

Local Enterprise Partnerships: Arts

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the contribution made by local enterprise partnerships to growth in the creative industries.

Michael Fallon: There has been no estimate of the contribution made by local enterprise partnerships specifically to growth in the creative industries. Local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) have been set up to bring together businesses and local authorities to determine local economic priorities and undertake activities to drive economic growth and the creation of local jobs.
	The Government fully recognises the value of the creative industries. They have a key role in growing our economy and contributing to British culture and we are determined to work closely with partners to create the best possible environment to support business growth.

Overseas Aid

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which projects administered by his Department were UK Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) attributable; what the total value of his Department's contribution to UK ODA was in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012; and what the value of that contribution will be in 2013.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has not directly administered any projects that could be regarded as UK overseas development assistance (ODA) attributable. However, the Department does make direct funding to the Medical Research Council (MRC) which is ring-fenced and classed as ODA.
	The MRC reported a global health (ODA) portfolio of research spend in:
	2010/11: £60 million ODA relevant spend inclusive of a £10 million contribution from DFID to this total.
	2011/12 financial year(1): £48 million inclusive of a DFID contribution of £12 million.
	2012 calendar year(1): £47.9 million which includes a £13 million from DFID.
	For 2013, BIS funding to MRC for ODA projects amounts to £31 million.
	In addition, BIS makes annual contributions to both the OECD and WTO on behalf of the UK Government. While not directly classed as ODA, the funding helps contribute to the work of both international organisations in the ongoing promotion of the economic development and welfare of developing countries.
	(1) Reporting was changed from financial to calendar year in 2012.

Postcodes: Databases

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to ensure the privatisation of the Royal Mail does not restrict access to the postcode address file for small entrepreneurs and new business start-ups.

Michael Fallon: The Government has ensured access to the Postcode Address File (PAF) through primary legislation. The Postal Services Act 2000 (as amended by the Postal Services Act 2011) specifies that PAF must be made available to anyone who wishes to use it on reasonable terms. This will apply regardless of ownership of Royal Mail.
	In addition, the Government has been working closely with Royal Mail to ensure that the PAF is easily accessible and continues to support growth. On 14 June 2013 Royal Mail announced a package of measures to improve access, including a forthcoming consultation to simplify radically the licensing regime and to target support for micro-businesses and small charities. From July, independent
	(1)
	micro-businesses will be able to use PAF for free for one year to develop new products and take them to market.
	(1) Not associated or affiliated with any other existing Solution Provider.

Prisoners: Literacy

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to improve literacy and numeracy rates amongst prison inmates and young offenders.

Matthew Hancock: Improving literacy and numeracy rates among prisoners is an important part of helping them to secure employment on release. Evidence shows that employment is linked to reduced re-offending.
	New prison education contracts for learning and skills for adult offenders in prisons in England were introduced last summer. These have a clear focus on addressing maths and English early in prisoners' sentences, with a requirement on the offender learning and skills provider to assess learning needs and, where a literacy or numeracy need is identified, to address it. English and maths teaching is delivered both as standalone activity and as an embedded element of work and vocational training. We are working with education providers to help them develop engaging and motivating courses to target resistant learners.
	We have piloted intensive maths and English courses in adult prisons, based on the Army's model, particularly to address the needs of prisoners serving short sentences. Prison Governors and offender learning and skills providers are now working together to consider whether this provision has a place in the delivery approaches they use locally.
	The Learning and Skills Improvement Service published in December 2012 “Developing Speaking and Listening Skills: A support pack for staff working with offenders” which uses English teaching to develop prisoners' communication skills.
	For young offenders in custody under the age of 18, the Ministry of Justice's (MOJ) consultation 'Transforming Youth Custody: Putting education at the heart of detention' published on 14 February 2013, sets out the Government's vision of secure colleges which would put a greater focus on education and training, including improving literacy and numeracy, to equip young people with the skills and qualifications they need to lead purposeful lives on release. The consultation closed on 30 April 2013 and the MOJ will publish a response in due course.

Regional Growth Fund

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Blackpool South of 25 February 2013, Official Report, column 301W, on the Regional Growth Fund, 
	(1)  how independent due diligence will be provided in relation to the Exceptional Regional Growth Fund;
	(2)  how independent due diligence will be provided in relation to the Exceptional Regional Growth Fund; and how this will differ from due diligence processes for rounds one, two and three of the Fund.

Michael Fallon: As with an open round of the Regional Growth Fund (RGF), all exceptional awards are conditional on satisfactory due diligence being performed by an independent third party. Conditional offer letters set out the scope of the due diligence to be performed by the independent third party (normally a firm of accountants). Upon the completion of satisfactory due diligence a final offer letter will be agreed. However, the Industrial Development Advisory Board retains the right to review the outcomes of all due diligence in relation to the use of RGF money, and to provide Ministers with independent advice. There is no difference between due diligence for exceptional RGF and other rounds.

Science: Higher Education

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage students to take up science and engineering degrees at university.

David Willetts: The Government fully recognises the importance of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) based industries to the UK economy, and of maintaining a healthy STEM pipeline. This is why we continue to sponsor a range of initiatives which aim to engage young people in STEM at various points in their educational career, including at degree level. Examples of these initiatives include the STEMNET STEM Ambassador Programme, the National Science and Engineering Competition and the Big Bang Fair.
	We are also working to increase the number of young people choosing to study these subjects by promoting diversity within STEM. The Government funds the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering to run a programme of work aimed at identifying and removing the barriers to entering STEM through a range of routes, including university.
	We are also supporting higher level study of STEM subjects through the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). Subjects which are identified as Strategically Important or Vulnerable Subjects (SIVS) receive additional financial support from HEFCE to help ensure courses can be continued. A range of STEM subjects are currently classed as SIVS.
	In the spending round 2013, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that he would:
	maintain resource funding for science in cash terms at £4.6 billion in 2015-16;
	increase capital funding in real terms from £0.6 billion in 2012-13 to £1.1 billion in 2015-16;
	and set a long-term capital budget for science in the next Parliament growing in line with inflation to 2020-21.

Sick Leave

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many days on average staff of his Department in each pay grade were absent from work as a result of ill health in each of the last 12 months.

Jo Swinson: The following table shows the average working days lost (AWDL) in BIS by grade, during the period 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013. Data is collated quarterly rather than by month and to produce the information in the format requested would result in disproportionate costs.
	
		
			 Grade AWDL 
			 Administrative Assistant 8.1 
			 Administrative Officer 12 
			 Executive Officer 8.8 
			 Higher Executive Officer 4.8 
			 Senior Executive Officer 5.7 
			 Grade 7 3.4 
			 Grade 6 2.4 
			 SCS 4.3 
		
	
	The data forms part of the quarterly return to Cabinet Office on absence. Further information is available on the BIS website.
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/transparency/staff

Students

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what the average undergraduate loan was for students who lived (a) at home and (b) away from home in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many undergraduate students lived (a) at home and (b) away from home whilst completing their studies in each of the last five years.

David Willetts: The number of English-domiciled full-time undergraduate students studying in the UK by term-time living arrangements is shown in Table 1. The figures are collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
	Statistics on the number of undergraduate students who were paid a maintenance loan by whether they were living with their parents or away from home, and the average amount they received, are shown in Table 2. The figures are collected by the Student Loans Company (SLC).
	The HESA statistics refer to students enrolled at higher education institutions. The data from SLC includes students at all types of higher education provider designated for student support, which includes further education colleges and alternative providers of higher education.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of full-time undergraduate enrolments by living arrangements: English-domiciled students at UK higher education institutions, academic years 2007/08 to 2011/12 
			  2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			 Students living with parents(1) 196,580 202,995 224,990 228,120 238,330 
			 Students living away from home(2) 587,925 602,480 636,960 658,170 681,935 
			 Other(3) 109,455 113,795 98,010 92,355 90,680 
			 Total 893,955 919,270 959,965 978,645 1,010,945 
			 (1) Students who report term-time accommodation as living with parent(s) or guardian. (2) Students living in own home, other rented accommodation, private-sector halls of residence or in an institution-maintained property. (3) Term-time accommodation is unknown, missing, unspecified or simply the student is not in attendance at the institution during the reported academic year. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of students paid maintenance loans by living arrangements(1): English domiciled students, academic years 2007/08 to 2011/12 
			  Number of students paid (thousand)(2) Average paid (£)(3) 
			 Academic year With Parents Living away from home Combined(4) With Parents Living away from home Combined(4) 
			 2007/08 130.5 611.8 3.7 2,580 3,730 3,370 
			 2008/09 131.7 635.8 4.0 2,490 3,740 3,380 
			 2009/10 143.0 672.2 4.2 2,520 3,820 3,410 
			 2010/11 143.5 706.9 4.9 2,530 3,850 3,410 
			 2011/12 151.4 750,1 5.7 2,560 3,900 3,470 
			 (1) Data refer to 31 August following each academic year. (2) Number of students paid rounded to nearest £50 and presented in thousands. (3) Average amount paid rounded to the nearest £10. (4) Students that record multiple living arrangements for the academic year. They live with parents for part of the year and away from home for the remainder of the study year. Source: Student Loans Company

Students: Finance

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of UK students in higher education did not apply for student finance in each of the last 10 years.

David Willetts: Statistics on the financial support awarded and paid to applicants for student support or their higher education institution (HEI) are published by the Student Loans Company in their annual Statistical First Release (SFR) ‘Student Support For Higher Education in England’. The latest SFR was published in November 2012:
	http://www.slc.co.uk/media/525907/slcsfr052012.pdf
	Table 4a (ii) of the SFR provides estimates of the proportion of the maintenance loan eligible population who were paid a maintenance loan during the course of the academic year. The relative proportions that were estimated to be eligible but did not take out a maintenance loan are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Estimated percentage take-up rate/non take-up rate for the eligible maintenance loan population for English domiciled students, academic year 2001/02 to 2010/11 
			 Academic year Estimated percentage take-up (%) Estimated percentage non take-up (%) Estimated eligible population (Thousand) 
			 2001/02 82 18 768 
			 2002/03 82 18 816 
			 2003/04 81 19 840 
		
	
	
		
			 2004/05 79 21 874 
			 2005/06 80 20 898 
			 2006/07 80 20 905 
			 2007/08 80 20 928 
			 2008/09 80 20 963 
			 2009/10 82 18 1,004 
			 2010/11 85 15 1,011 
			 Note: BIS use data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and other sources with the closest approximation of eligibility criteria available from those sources to produce the estimated eligible population. Estimates are produced with a consistent method each year. Source: Student Loans Company 
		
	
	Eligible populations vary for the different student support products, so an estimate of a combined take-up for student finance is not included in the SFR. The inclusion of an estimated take-up rate for tuition fee loans is planned for the 2013 publication.

Students: Loans

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what external advice the Government has commissioned since May 2010 on the future of the student loan book; when each such piece of advice was commissioned; which firms have provided this advice; when any such reports were passed to Ministers in his Department; what the total cost to the public purse was; and if he will place a copy of each such report in the Library.

David Willetts: In September 2010, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills commissioned Rothschild to analyse potential options for the future of the Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) student loan book. Hogan Lovells was also commissioned in September 2010 and provided legal advice on potential options. Deloitte was commissioned in January 2011 and provided accounting advice. Officials and Ministers in the Department have since continued to explore the feasibility of options for the student loan book (for loans issued up to 2012) as part of the Government's wider programme of asset commercialisation. Rating agencies have also provided advice in relation to potential options. The cost of the feasibility study to date has been £1.46 million.
	This Department has started to prepare for a sale of this loan book, as part of the Government's asset sales programme announced on 27 June 2013.
	As this policy is still in development, the 2011 report contains and future reports will contain commercially sensitive information that could damage the value for money Government can achieve from a sale process, and so should not be disclosed at this point.

Students: Loans

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the announcement by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury in his oral statement of 27 June 2013, that the Government plans to sell the pre-Browne student loan book, what assessment he has made of the option of altering the terms of loan repayments for those cohorts of graduates.

David Willetts: The Government received proposals in 2011 from its advisers that the cap on interest rates on student loans should be removed as part of a possible sale of the loan book. The proposal was dismissed two years ago and will not be taken forward by this Government.

Students: Loans

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a full and unredacted copy of the document entitled, Project Hero: updated views on feasibility, which was prepared for his Department in 2011.

David Willetts: In 2011, Rothschild produced a report to analyse potential options for the future of the Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) student loan book. Following further feasibility work, this Department has now started to prepare for a sale of the pre-Browne loan book, as part of the Government's asset sales programme announced on 27 June 2013.
	As this policy is still in development, the 2011 report contains and future reports will contain commercially sensitive information that could damage the value for money Government can achieve from a sale process, and so should not be disclosed at this point.

Thameslink Railway Line

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the Government's decision to award train manufacturing in the Thameslink contract, what assistance his Department provided to British-based manufacturers to ensure that bids relating to the contract relating to the building of trains in the UK were competitive.

Michael Fallon: The competition to supply trains and maintenance services for the Thameslink programme was designed and launched in 2008 by the previous Government and the procurement process followed strict EU procurement rules. The criteria set out in the original Invitation to Tender issued by the Department for Transport required all potential suppliers to be treated equally and in a non-discriminatory manner. Therefore no such assistance was provided.

Thameslink Railway Line

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the Government's decision to award train manufacturing in the Thameslink contract, for what reason his Department did not insist as part of the contract agreement with Siemens, that the company manufacture all, or a significant proportion of the contract value at its facility on Tyneside; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: The competition to supply trains and maintenance services for the Thameslink programme was designed and launched in 2008 by the previous Government. Under EU procurement rules, the Department for Transport (DfT) were not permitted to include a condition requiring Siemens to utilise its Tyneside manufacturing facility to carry out all or part of the contract.
	Siemens successfully applied for funding under Round 3 of the regional growth fund to transform Hebburn into a site specialising in rail, and will supply components for Thameslink and other contracts. This will protect and create up to 300 jobs in the North East.

Training: Young People

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which initiatives undertaken by his Department for the purpose of economic recovery include skills learning for young people.

Matthew Hancock: Skills are an important driver of balanced and sustainable growth, and are central to delivering the ambitions of the Government. Further education (FE) and skills equip adults with the knowledge and skills necessary to help them succeed and thrive, and enable employers to build the work forces they need to grow in a global and competitive marketplace.
	Apprenticeships are at the heart of our drive to equip people of all ages with the skills employers need to prosper and compete, often in a global market. Our priority is to expand apprenticeships where these deliver greatest benefits, including for younger people (16 to 24), to reflect sector skills needs and opportunities, and where there is progression to advanced and higher levels.
	Our recently announced Traineeships programme will help young people aged 16 to 24 who need extra support to be able to compete for apprenticeships and other jobs, by offering them work experience, employability skills and remedial English and maths provision.

USA: EU External Trade

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the carbon footprint created by the expected greater trade between the US and the EU as a result of the agreement made at the G8 meeting at Lough Erne; and if the Government will conduct an environmental impact assessment of that agreement.

Michael Fallon: The March 2013 study by the European Commission (EC) estimates a minimal impact of carbon emissions arising from the EU-US Free Trade Agreement—an increase of 0.02% to 0.07% in carbon emission levels for the world.
	The UK study does not model the impact of carbon emissions explicitly, but we will continue to keep this under review.

Arts: Curriculum

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, (b) teachers and teachers' organisations and (c) arts and cultural organisations on arts and creativity in the curriculum.

Elizabeth Truss: On 5 June 2013, the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), chaired a roundtable discussion on arts education with head teachers and representatives from a variety of arts and cultural organisations. This was attended by the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, my hon. Friend the Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey).
	In addition, I recently chaired a Cultural Education Group meeting with my hon. Friend the hon. Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey) on 21 May, 2013. The group's members include cultural education providers who are delivering Department for Education-funded cultural education programmes; head teachers; and Darren Henley, managing director of Classic FM.

National Curriculum Tests

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many schools appealed against the refusal to be entered for the Level 6 SAT papers and were subsequently granted entry through appeal with the Standards and Testing Agency in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013;
	(2)  how many schools appealed against refusal to be entered by the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency for the Level 6 SAT papers in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010;
	(3)  how many schools appealed against refusal to be entered by the Standards and Testing Agency for the Level 6 SAT papers in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013;
	(4)  how many (a) schools and (b) pupils were refused entry by the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency for the Level 6 SAT papers in (i) 2009 and (ii) 2010;
	(5)  how many (a) schools and (b) pupils were refused entry by the Standards and Testing Agency for the Level 6 SAT papers in (i) 2011, (ii) 2012 and (iii) 2013;
	(6)  how many (a) schools and (b) pupils were entered for the Level 6 SAT papers with the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency in (i) 2009 and (ii) 2010;
	(7)  how many (a) schools and (b) pupils were entered for the Level 6 SAT papers with the Standards and Testing Agency in (i) 2011, (ii) 2012 and (iii) 2013;
	(8)  how many schools appealed against the refusal to be entered for the Level 6 SAT papers and were subsequently granted entry through appeal with the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010.

Elizabeth Truss: Level 6 tests at key stage 2 (KS2) were first introduced in 2012 and, therefore, there are no figures relating to the period 2009-11 under either the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency or the Standards and Testing Agency (STA).
	In the first year of the Level 6 tests, 2012, schools were permitted to enter pupils up to and including the day of the tests. There were no instances of refusals of entry or, therefore, related appeals.
	In 2013, schools were required to register pupils for the Level 6 tests no later than the deadline of 22 March; in line with the statutory obligations set out in the KS2 Assessment and Reporting Arrangements. This deadline was introduced as the previous year's arrangements—which enabled schools to register pupils up to and including the day of the tests—caused disruption and significant risks to the delivery of KS2 tests.
	All schools that registered by the deadline were permitted. Schools with exceptional circumstances including local IT issues—highlighted to the STA prior to the deadline—and serious tragedies in their schools were permitted late registrations. A total of 28 schools were allowed such late registrations, with a total of 110 pupils. A further 59 pupils from 54 schools that arrived at their school post-deadline were permitted late registration.
	There is no formal appeals process but a total of 240 complaints were received in relation to requests for registration of pupils post-deadline. This figure does not relate to unique schools as repeat complaints were in some cases received for a school through several different channels. No pupil level data was captured or supplied by these schools and therefore it is not possible to determine the number of individual pupils who may have been affected.
	The total numbers of pupil and school registrations for 2012 and 2013 for KS2 Level 6 tests are detailed in the following table.(1)
	
		
			  Mathematics English reading English grammar, punctuation and spelling 
			  2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 
			 Pupil registrations 55,809 80,925 47,148 73,118 n/a 61,883 
			 School registrations 8,130 11,369 6,469 9,605 n/a 7,870 
			 (1 )2013 is the first year in which the English grammar, punctuation and spelling test has been administered.

National Curriculum Tests

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education under what curriculum 
	(1)  students ending Key stage 2 in 2015 will be (a) taught and (b) assessed.
	(2)  students ending Key stage 2 in 2016 will be (a) taught and (b) assessed.

Elizabeth Truss: The existing national curriculum will continue to be the basis for statutory end of key stage 2 statutory assessments in summer 2015.
	Key stage 2 statutory assessments under the new national curriculum will take place in summer 2016 and in subsequent years.
	Decisions on the phasing in of the new national curriculum will be announced in the Government's response to the national curriculum consultation which will be published shortly.

Official Cars

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy to log the number of journeys undertaken by each Minister in his Department using the ministerial car pool.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department has no plans to log and collate this information.
	This Government has significantly reduced the cost to the taxpayer of Government cars compared with the cost before the last general election.
	For details of how much the Department has spent on the Government Car Service, I refer the hon. Member to the information published in the annual written ministerial statement, which can be found in the House Library. Statements for 2009/10 to 2011/12 can be found on the Parliament website(1, 2, 3).
	Details of the cost for the Government Car Service for 2012/13 will be published in the normal way later this year.
	(1) 2009/10:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm101028/wmstext/101028m0001.htm#10102827000372
	(2) 2010/11:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120116/wmstext/120116m0001.htm#12011611000194
	(3) 2011/12:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm121220/wmstext/121220m0001.htm#12122056000216

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average per student funding was of primary schools of (a) fewer than 50, (b) from 50 to 99, (c) from 100 to 199, (d) from 200 to 299, (e) from 300 to 399 and (f) over 400 pupils in (i) rural and (ii) non-rural areas in the latest year for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

David Laws: Average per pupil funding figures for primary schools in the requested classification for the 2012-13 financial year are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Primary average funding per pupil 
			 (£) 
			 School size Rural Non-rural 
			 Below 50 6,910 7,175 
			 50 to 99 4,685 5,165 
			 100 to 199 3,902 4,389 
			 200 to 299 3,574 4,118 
			 300 to 399 3,426 3,975 
			 400 and over 3,395 4,027 
		
	
	Per pupil figures were derived from 2012-13 S251 school budget shares(1) and January 2012 school census data(2) matched across to the urban/rural indicator from the 2011/12 school capacity data(3).
	The per pupil figures for smaller schools are generally higher as a greater proportion of their funding will come from lump sum factors in local authorities' funding formulae. The non-rural figures are in part higher due to greater levels of deprivation funding in more urban local authorities.
	(1)http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/financialmanagement/schoolsrevenuefunding/section251/a00214232/s251-budget-2012-13-data
	(2)( )https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2012
	(3 )https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-capacity-academic-year-2011-to-2012